DHS Seeks IRS Assistance in Immigration Enforcement Expansion

Homeland Security asks the IRS to help target financial crimes tied to immigration and bolster efforts to enforce Trump’s executive order on border security.

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has formally requested IRS support to investigate financial crimes linked to human trafficking and businesses employing undocumented migrants.
• The request aligns with President Trump’s executive order to enhance border security and enforce immigration laws, including the apprehension and removal of unauthorized immigrants.
• The IRS Criminal Investigation division, comprising about 2,100 special agents, specializes in financial crimes but lacks training for broader immigration enforcement tasks.
• Critics argue that diverting IRS resources to immigration enforcement could weaken tax compliance efforts, potentially reducing tax revenues and increasing the federal budget deficit.
• The IRS has not yet commented on the request, and it remains unclear how the agency will respond to this unprecedented collaboration proposal.

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